Records

Rip It Up, Issue 134, 1 September 1988, Page 22

Records

THESUGARCUBES Life's Too Good (Liberation) The British press are going apeshit overtheSugarcubes. Why? Well, coming from Iceland helps for sure (novelty value, mystique of a barbaric culture, the first in an Icelandic cultural revolution — it all makes good copy close brackets) and having a female singer who looks like a pixie with nice... eyes (resist the obvious even though there's balls on the cover) and who sings like a cross between a Bush and a Banshee and then there's a guitarist who can play and a lyricist who writes childlike simplistic words so naive they must be deep or surreal. With those ingredients, howcan you miss? And yet they've been lumbered with the greatness tag only on the strength of last year's quite extraordinarily controlled pop dementia 'Birthday'. Five minutes of ice-queen from a whisper to a scream inspiration has led to an album that can't sustain that high but is tasty enough to verify moderate critical expectations . but below the standard needed to levitate above Reykjavik. / The first side doesn't do enough to engage the listener; 'Traitor', 'Motorcrash' and 'Mama' just don't connect rough an aloofness, an airiness that leaves the side to be ■. carried by 'Birthday' and the fun-loving 'Delicious Demon'. The second side has more going for it as these Teutonic B-52s slip into the heaving funk of their recent single 'Coldsweat', get cute on 'Blue Eyed Pop' but someone should tell Einar he shouldn't sing, insist that God doesn't exist on the quite charming 'Deus' and let guitarist Thor do his thang on the mighty fine 'Sick For Toys'. 'Having Sexual Intercourse In Rhythm And Sorrow' closes the album. What

else? The best things in life are not The Sugarcubes and they're not gonna save the world from rap and Stock Aitken and Waterman but they're a nice divergence that could get nicer. GEORGE KAY VAN MORRISON ANDTHE CHIEFTAINS Irish Heartbeat (Mercury) Van Morrison is no ordinary Irishman Fora start, he grew up aloof from the Catholic/Protestant conflict: his parents were Jehovah's Witnesses, who everybody loves to hate. Also, his , musical upbringing wasn't Irish folk but the jazz and blues of his parents. Nevertheless, the mix of his Irish and . R&B childhood made him the original Celtic soul brother, expressing the pain of the Irish experience with a unique voice inherited from the blues masters. . But after a long career producing records of consistent depth and the occasional masterpiece, Morrison had begun to tread water in the early 80s. His Celtic soul niche had become a rut, his vocal and musical trademarks cliches. Of the 80s albums, only Inarticulate Speech of the Heart stands out, because Morrison ventured into new territory: instrumentals with

high-tech equipment but ancient passion. Though there was nothing wrong with albums such as No Guru and Poetic Champions, forthose - expecting the earth to move, they were pleasant, lightweight exercises, perfect forCDs and introspective car journeys. With Irish Heartbeat however, Morrison once again experiments, not with the sounds of the future but the

past. He combines with the Chieftains, Ireland's foremost traditional band, in an arranged marriage that (while predictable) was made in heaven. Both parties have benefitted from the collaboration, as both have lacked adventure in recent years. The album is affecting and uplifting, grasping the melancholy and spirituality at the heart

of the Irish character. Only two of the songs are Van's, the rest being traditional Celtic ballads, but 'lrish Heartbeat' (off Inarticulate) and 'Celtic Ray' (Beautiful Vision) are indicative of the revitalisation. 'Heartbeat's aching melody is assisted by the warm vocals of June Boyce and the haunting violin and tin whistles. 'Ray' combines bagpipe drone and spirited fiddle with a wonderful double bass that recalls Richard Davis's pivotal work on Astral Weeks. The traditional material ranges from the mournful 'Carrickfergus' to the exuberant 'Marie's Wedding,' with the lion inside of Morrison fighting to come out on 'Raglan Road.' Irish Heartbeat lightens the burdens; Van isn't so brooding as usual, the Chieftains not so polite. It's not a rollicking good time a la the Pogues, but it's a new direction in Van Morrison's journey, which is a relief: his mystic was

in danger of turning into muzak. CHRIS BOURKE

HOTHOUSE FLOWERS People (London) Another U2 sponsored band, the Hothouse Flowers have been making their own way in the world since Bono and co. released their first single, 'Love Don't Work This Way' on Mother Records. Educated ata Gaelic speaking school, founding members Liam O'Maonlai and Fiancha O'Braondin cut their teeth on traditional Irish music before discovering the riches and worldliness of American R&B. So upbringing meets influences and produces a potion where the band's Celtic infancy plays second fiddle to the more dominant gospel and blues

strains, to the extent where the music often sounds authentic enough to have

hopped out of somewhere between New Orleans and Memphis. With roots embedded in the right places the band make the most of their good taste with gospel-flavoured call-and-hollers like Yes I Was' and 'Love Don't Work This Way.'And although they've denied even listening to Van Morrison, the similarities between their hit single 'Don't Go' and the man's 'Brown Eyed Girl'are hard to ignore. And while we're on the subject, the swing and phrasing of'Hallelujah Jordan' and 'The Older We Get' are vintage Morrison. But that's okay; they can live with that for now. What they've got to do before the next album is develop something of their own from their impeccable influences. There are weaknesses on People, like the irritating R&B rap intro of'l'm Sorry' and the dull 'Forgiven' and 'lf You Go'that may have been winners with a shot of traditional Irish magic or elements that would allow them to express something of themselves. Still, People sounds like real people with some real goof songs, and that's achievement enough for any debut. GEORGEKAY

WILL DOWNING Will Downing (4th & Broadway) In a year of great soul debuts from Mr Sweat, Mr Sherrick and Mr Al B.Shure, I'll have to say that Will Downing beats the lot of them. All the rest try for something different, new production sounds, vocal twists and turns, colourful jumpers, that sort of thing. Mr Downing comes out with an album that sounds

old-fashioned in comparison with the young trio's performance, but it's this traditionalism that's its strength.

He uses his voice in the same sense as a jazz singer, as a solo voice and part of the overall composition. Like in 'Set Me Free' where he uses falsetto to

great advantage, ora lower voice in 'Sending Out An S.O.S.' to sound like he's pleading, then up again to merge

with Wendell Brooks'saxophone. Lots of jazz tinges in the album, including an amazing version of John Coltrane's 'A Love Supreme'which is the album's real killer. But still a solid funk soul album. Good dancers in 'ln My Dreams', 'Do You' and 'Security' and award-winning production from one of my favourites, Mr Arthur Baker. You can still hear Baker's trademark beats, . \ although now sounding as smooth as a glass of Lansons' Black Label. Mr Downing was lead vocalist in Baker's Criminally Minded operation, but his voice was too strong to remain ' anonymous, and now the spotlight is his. For lovers of real intense soul — look no further. KERRY BUCHANAN PATTI SMITH Dream Of Life : (Arista) Let's get one thing straight: no record collection is complete without Smith's first album, Horses, as rare and as sparse a rant from any individual since Elvis. After that be very selective because she let her hippy heart take . over from her intuitive feel for rock'n'roll, which explains her • self-conscious and pretentious preachings and poetic ramblings that took over her next three albums. • The woman on Dream Of Life is not the woman who made Horses, just as the Lennon who recorded the soul purge of the Plastic Ono Band wasn't the same man who recorded the domesticated Double Fantasy. Nine years away from the music biz has meant marriage to her guitarist Fred Sonic Smith in 1980, two kids and a recent attempt at cultivating a, gulp, ant farm. '

Two years in the making, Dream Of Life is the product of a happy, married existence, but to her credit she doesn't let get hertoo sentimental. In fact, amongst the tastefully personal and melodic revelations of the title track, the dreamy 'Going Under', and the 'Frederick'-styled 'Paths That Cross', she

manages to get into a couple of topical bitches. The eight-minute anti-war When Duty Calls' leaves teeth marks and the anti-nuke 'Up There Down There' makes a convincing snarl but the only other non-personal song, 'People Have The Power' is too naive to make it.

After Horses Patti Smith struggled to recapture that X-factor. These days she's wise enough not to try—rock'n'roll takes the back seat. Approach Dream Of Life and its balance of personal insights and politics from that perspective and you'll find that she's aged well. GEORGEKAY

TONI CHILDS Union (A&M)

The late 80s will be remembered for music more sales-orientated than ever. We live with the fastest media in history and as soon as something new is spotted it's stamped, labelled and shipped out fast. Trouble is, the massive ego that opposes fashion often ends up talking loud and saying nothing, and the

self-consciously alternative can likewise end up a kneejerk reactionary with little to say in the way of music.

With Union, however, Toni Childs has managed to find her own voice and her own music with scarcely a nod to others. Union fills its own space and makes its own rules, yet there's very little ego on the album at all.

Instead, not unlike the Cocteau Twins, Childs has embraced the layers and atmospheres which the studio can create. She is no luddite and together with producers David Tickle and David Ricketts has picked up on the

pseudo-ethnic grooves that move Peter Gabriel and (sometimes) Eno. Songs like Walk And Talk Like Angels' and 'Zimbabwe' loop themselves into harmonies and rhythms of startling depth and emotion. Toni Childs is 30, which I like; there's maturity here, and heart—- even if it is on her sleeve. There's also a rare character in her voice, the strongest instrument on the album.

Childs is an L.A. woman and that city's infamous naievity may catch up with her by the second album, but oh Union it's a

benefit. Her singing and hersongsare passionate and meloncholy; she is not shy about what she feels. There is none of Suzanne Vega's infuriating coyness and Childs doesn't dip into Tracy Chapman's righteous bleating, even on political subjects. Childs is empty at the right times, letting the music say things for her.

So, what box shall we put her in? Phoebe Snow sings Peter Gabriel? The comparisons are not invalid, but they fall way short. Union is a testimony to heart and intelligence, to instinct and careful self-management. At this point in time it sounds like the sort of debut that is really gonna shake the earth, but that couldn't be. Best female artist? Nope, she's better than most of the men around at the moment as well. So let's just opt for the same old recommendation you always read: give Toni Childs a listen. Because Union is an album you should hear before the media spoils it for you. Because it really is quite remarkably beautiful. CHAD TAYLOR

BRIAN WILSON Brian Wilson (Sire/Reprise)

Brian Wilson was the lost boy of rock'n'roll. The first composer/performer/producer all-rounder, his work with the Beach Boys defined the Californian myth in the early 60s. 'Good Vibrations' was his masterpiece, pop's perfect three-and-a-half minute symphony. He then embarked on the legendary concept album Smile, which was abandoned after drug abuse brought out the paranoia and insecurity in Wilson's troubled personality. The Beach Boys paddled on while Wilson became a hermit, coming out of his seclusion in the mid-80s after years of controversial analysis with his svengali psychotherapist Eugene Landy. Landy is crucial to the appearance of this solo album, which comes out 22 years after Wilson's last significant work. He's the "executive producer," and is thanked by Wilson for saving his life; apparently Wilson cannot operate on a daily basis without constant supervision from Landy. The helpful shrink is also credited as co-composer on almost half the album's 11 tracks. So that's the weird background, and the miracle of it all is that this comeback record is a stunner. The hook-filled melodies are heart-breakingly

delicate, with a strange naive quality that suggests Wilson has never left his adolescence. He's also never lost his love for Spectorian layered production.

At first the album seems like "Variations in Beach Boy Minor," or

Todd Rundgren pastiches, but the strength of the songs and Wilson's singing means this isn't the technical exercise the dozens of engineers listed might suggest. The aching 'Love and Mercy,' the nursery rhyme-like 'Walkin' the Line' and 'Little Children,' and the plaintive 'Let it Shine' portray Wilson as a pathetic, lonely figure of humour and soul. 'Rio Grande' is the album's showcase, a witty eight-minute exploration of popular music, along the lines of his former colleague Van Dyke Parks' Discover America. From 'Cow Cow Boogie' to 'Ole Man River,' Huck Finn to Fred Astaire, Wilson pulls it all off with taste and irony. Brian Wilson overcame daunting personal obstacles to make this album (unlike Robbie Robertson, say, who had the same megabuck backing, but only had to fight his ego and laziness). That

the results sound so fresh and alive to a palate jaded by over-production is the best surprise this year. Now all we need is for Syd Barrett to return from the living dead...

CHRIS BOURKE

PUBLIC ENEMY ItTakes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (CBS)

Yeeah! Boys! Bass for your face. The album that asks no favours, takes no prisoners and makes everything that came before it redundant. Hip-hop taken to the edge, at its rawest, like a dentist's drill, it makes you take notice. The most self-contained work of black consciousness since Coltrane, a torrent of blackness against a white world. A product of Long Island's black

working class subdivisions, followers of Louis Farrakhan and the nation of Islam. Many call them racists but they answer with 'Don't Believe The Hype'; Used, abused with clues/l refused to blow a fuse/They even had it on the news/Don'tbelieve the hype!" I don'texpect many white liberals - with bones around their necks will hear this (too busy with Tracy Chapman talkin' about a revolution). If they did, it would scare the liberal guilt right out of them. Each track a seminar on how to party for your right to fight. Militant raps on blacks in prison ('Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos'), drugs ('Night Of The Living Bassheads'), failure of black radio to hard core ('Bring The Noise') and the merits of their DJ featured strongly on 'Terminator X To The Edge Of Panic' where he cuts up Queen's 'Flash' theme. Excellent use of samples throughout, from James Brown, Shaft, crowd response, politics and Hagens' 'Harlem Nocturne'. Eighteen tracks of tension, ideologically, lyrically and musically. The use of unusual tonal structures and Chuck D and flavour flav rapping style add to the tension, also the use of a siren makes things alienating. It's as if the added noises make you listen to the lyrics more. It's the same effect Maceo and the Macs use on 'Cross The Tracks' and'BlowYour Head'—it's part of hip-hop history. The track 'Party For Your Right To Fight' is about black political groupings, like the Black Panthers of Huey P.Newton, ElridgeCleaverand Bobby Searle. It was a great shock to me when I found Searle's latest book—a recipe book for barbeque sauce. How the mighty have been beaten. But as Public

Enemy say on that track, "He endedit — so get up/Time to get 'em back — you got it/Get back on the track—you

gotit/Word from the honorable Elijah Muhammed/Know who you are to be black." An unbelievably strong album that can never be beaten. A masterpiece.

KERRY BUCHANAN

JOY DIVISION Substance (Factory)

Great myths of rock and roll N 0.237: "Joy Division's music is depressing." The uninitiated espouse this belief worldwide, making the same mistake as they did with Leonard Cohen. Joy Division dealt with death, loss and

alienation, and critics pretended, both in condemnation and defence of the band, that this was new subject matter. They were called morbid, but while morbidity suggests a fetishistic obsession with things unpleasant, lan Curtis tackled pain head-on in his lyrics and sometimes violent stage act. What could be less morbid than a superbly executed exorcism of pain, an instant catharsis in an imperfect life? It could be said that the really depressing "artists" are everyone from Nick Kamen to Bon Jovi; there is certainly something wearying about their popularity.

There have been accusations that Factory are only releasing old Joy Division material to make a quick buck, but if this is so (and given Tony Wilson's track record, it's unlikely) then this is the acceptable face of avarice, as Substance is a great compilation (no, that's not a contradiction in terms. Well, not any more, anyway). The "where is my favourite track" brigade will have limitless ammunition with Substance. There is nothing from Unknown Pleasures or Closer, and most of side one is given to very raw early material. All three singles are there, though, as is a wonderfully sparse

'She's Lost Control' from the B-side of 'Atmosphere'.This diversity of material will no doubt cause many to wonder at the fact that the same band recorded the jagged punk aggression of Warsaw' and the almost lilting meloncholy of'Atmosphere', often said to be Joy Division's masterpiece. There's something reassuring in the way that after all these years, Joy Division can still tear us apart.

MATTHEW HYLAND

THE HOUSEMARTINS Now That's What I Call Quite Good (Chrysalis) Just wimps, or misunderstood wonderboys who came close to saving the world with their humanist left-wing politics and their chirpy popular music? Those are the alternatives you're faced with when you consider the short two-years-two albums reign of this lot from Hull. Their dissolution earlier this year has led to this double album of out-takes, hit singles, B-sides and pieces from their two albums, LondonO Hull 4 and People Who Grinned Themselves To Death. So, wimps or wonderboys, probably not so much an alternative as a couple of opposite traits that existed in their music. Wonderful are hit singles like 'Sheep', 'Five Get Over Excited', the fabulous 'Build' and their last legitimate new release 'Always Something There To Remind Me!'. Half-decent B-sides worth a mention are 'I Smell Winter', 'Drop Down Dead' and 'Hopelessly Devoted' — hyperactive fillers that can't match the quality of the choices from the super-fine People Who Grinned Themselves To Death, namely the title track, 'Bow Down' and 'The Light Is Always Green'.

Wimpy are the gospel or accapella versions of Carole King's *You've Got A Friend', 'He Ain't Heavy' and 'l'll Be Your Shelter'. As singles go 'Flag Day' has a dangerously high wimp quotient while the gospel 'Lean On Me' is lethal from within hearing distance and 'Caravan Of Love' can be fatal depending on your mood. But jokes aside, the early matyrdom of this band is sad because as they proved on People Who Grinned Themselves To Death they were only starting to grow away from the budgies-with-bite cuteness of their earlier songs and from the maudlin and clumsy lapses into gospel. Now That's What I Call Quite Good contains their strengths and their weaknesses and their hit singles butforthe Housemartins at their best you can't go past that second and final album. GEORGEKAY JOE JACKSON Live 1980/86 (A&M) This isn't Jackson's first live album — see Big World; also Body & Soul was recorded live-in-the-studio. It is however his first retrospective collection, so it's tempting to view it as some sort of 'Best of Live'. But it isn't that, either as too many good songs are left out and a few inferior ones ('Beat Crazy', 'Don't Wanna Be Like That', 'Cancer') are included. No, what this album consists of is simply a record of four different tours with four different bands (only one of which, 1983's 'Night And Day', came to New Zealand).

The different line-ups involved different arrangements and so while some songs appear as you'd expect (a raging Tm The Man') others get changed around somewhat ('Sunday Papers' with brass and a heavier riff). Nothing gets as marked a re-interpretation as 'ls She Really Going Out With Him' but one still questions whether that justifies including three versions. The recording quality is, as expected from Jackson, superb throughout. But, also as with Jackson these days, there seems finally a lot more to admire about the album — his strong singing, the exemplary instrumental work, even the packaging and design — than to really get excited about. Perhaps it's because we already know the songs or the fact that, despite the re-workings,

very few will replace the versions we already know. The current advertising campaign has been promoting

Jackson's comment that he normally hates live albums. His own set inspires nowhere near so passionate a response—more like minor interest. PETER THOMSON THE PRIMITIVES Lovely (RCA) Pigeonholed by some as bubblegum afterit's been chewed through punk and stuck on some kinda 80s pop missile, my big worry about the Primitives was that they were gonna take themselves too seriously, like that other Ramones-powered teen dream, the Shop Assistants, who were too self-conscious and worshipped too early to sustain anything past a couple of decent singles. But no worries coz this is as calculated and as disposable and as derivative as the two Mary Chain albums and believe me, that's praise. In fact'Ocean Blue'and'Thru'The Flowers' sound like they were recorded for Darklands but rejected because their two chords were one too many. 'Crash' defines and pushes the Primitive's trash manifesto with its kick start and high sustained revs and if they can't equal that then the next best things are the buzz-saw assaults of 'Stop Killing Me', modern day pinhead 'Spacehead' and 'Dreamwalk Baby.' The Archies' connection arrives in the shape of 'Run Baby Run' and 'Don't Want Anything To Change', two sticky, sickly pop confections that only take one suck to get the flavour, but you'll

suck again. And that's Lovely, an album you probably won't play more than twice from end to end as after that you'll pick out the blitzy or sickly bits, an album of perfect pop—quick and cheap and... lovely. But with the life span of a lollipop. GEORGEKAY FREDDIE JACKSON Don't Let Love Slip Away (Capitol) Like sang froid, babe, Kelvinator couldn't make a cooler dude, but the fires of love call and he melts. Soul men and women have been telling us about the pleasures and pain of love for decades, and Mr Jackson adds his history of I'amour. In fact when it comes to the slow jam, detailing the many

ways of meeting and leaving the loved one, well, Freddie is a gem. Like Randy 'Macho Man' Savage, he holds the championship belt. Like he can get real carried away, as in'Special Lady'; "You know when to come into my head when I'm down/You fill me up with glows ofjoy/You stand strong when I'm weak"and a little bit more forcible, like, "Yes we gotathang baby/Wouldyou stay with me, yeah." So he covers all the gamuts of the emotions. Apart from philosophy of love, his voice is still superfine. Perhaps a touch laid back in the satin sheets, but still an instrument of joy. He really is a great lovers' singer, lovely tone and that

sense of an iceberg. Not quite the earthshaker his debut

Rock Me Tonight was, but a good addition to this year's fine soul releases. Nothing beats this one top-rate shmaltz. KERRY BUCHANAN DWEEZIL ZAPPA My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama (Festival) Dweezil Zappa was born 1 8 years ago and in that same year father Frank also wrote and released a song called 'My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama' for his album Weasels Ripped My Flesh. Now it appears again in the return of the son of Zappa with the remainder of the compositions written by Dweez ' himself with a light metal feel to them. There's 'Shameless' which is quite an aggressive little number and drumming on the chunky 'Bang Your Groove Thang' is RATT's Bobby Blotzer. Also playing are other high calibre musicians like Steve Smith, Terry Bozzio and (as on his first LP Havin'A Bad Day) Scott Thinnes, the bass player, is borrowed from dad. All guitars, vocals and keyboards are handled comfortably by Dweezil. He exercises his right of social comment too, like in 'Nasty Bizness' which is about arms deals with Iran, and 'Coolest Guy In The World', which is an anti-drugs statement (don't let what happened to Elvis happen to you). More than anything else, though, this is serious fun music and should not be passed by. '

GEOFFDUNN

■ a Rolling Stones reunion but said he'd recently jammed with Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. Expect Keith Richard's solo IP soon. Musicians on the road with Sting are complaining. The singerand his band are in the middle of a monster 13-month tour and it's hard going. "Everybody's burned out," said sax-man Branford Marsalis, "I have a tremendous amount of loyalty to Sting so I'll stick it out, but anybody else, , anybody else, would have quit. It's impossible to give your best when you're doing seven shows in eight days." Remember that when he was with the Police, Sting would keep the tours short to ' ; avoid straining his voice... Prince made a few surprise in-store appearances while his show was in London; one included his whole band and drew a crowd of 1,000. And if you think Cat's figure is impressive then consider the tour's estimated total cost of two million dollars... Ike Turner has been sentenced to a year in jail for - possession and transporting rock cocaine. The conviction follows his arrest last year when police found a freebase pipe and six grams of crack in his car. Ike is recording an autobiographical album entitled My Confessions. Hawkwind man Robert Calvert died from a heart attack in his Margate home on August 14... charges against Lionel Richie's wife have been dropped both by the singerand his lover ' Diane Alexander (22). This was in order to "spare the ordeal of their private lives being exposed in public." It will also save Brenda Richie telling everyone exactly where she kicked hubby, and how hard... Cincinatti's radio WCVG-AM has become the world's first All Elvis station; 24 hours of Elvis Presley chat, music and trivia. CHRISTCHURCH Whilst the international touring acts have not been faring too well lately, things . on the local scene have been picking up ... Crystal Promotions are putting their faith in the locals and staging a 12-hour concert at the Town Hall, featuring 12 South Island bands. Billed as Red Rock 'BB tickets are now on sale for the

October show... two weeks prior South Sound Promotions have a similar concert featuring Rick Bryant & The Jive Bombers, Amez-Amez and others.

. Even closer to home The Su way has been struggling lately but attendance at recent gigs has picked up enough to keep the venue open... bands such as Jean Paul Satre, Three Guesses and the Prodigies have proved to be the biggest crowd-pullers whilst the Axel ' Grinders have been appearing regularly to appreciative crowds, proving there is a connection between disco and punk! Across the road the King George is now under the control of Standard 10 Promotions and operating on a similar basis to the Subway, whilst the

Coachman now features the National Sex Grid and their ilk in an effort to entice the punters on early week nights. Audio Access are still moving along rapidly with Look Of Anguish, Itchy Feet, Tony Cornaga, Christchurch, Pachamama, Richard Gibson and Pop Mechanix all spending time there over the last month... with all the developments around town with local studios Audio Access are still leading the way and with some planned alterations look like staying in that position ... the Axemen have signed to Jayrem and should have their new album out 500 n... and... there is talk of a new ChCh-based record label. Other bits: Smacc Riflemen aren't splitting but are undergoing changes...

Echo Records have moved and are now two floors of goodies... after a

successful tour 'round the world the Bats are taking a break and will be recording a new album for release early next year... J.GREENFIELD DUNEDIN Cactus Club are back in town. They are working towards an EP release and will be playing live on September 25 at the third Chingford Park outdoor concert... also confirmed are ex-pat Dunedinetes Cassandra's Ears... Snapper played for the first time in a couple of months at famous old local haunt The Empire. One quiet night and one loud one (the PA blew up on Friday) supported by the excellent three-piece Snare... The Bats played at the opening of our very own bwand new HMV Megastore, also at the European's Burgundy Bar with Plagal Grind. Good times... the Expressway Pile-Up compilation, featuring This Kind Of Punishment, The Doublehappys, Dead C, Snapper and more is now available on tape... Doug The Warlock are heading for the studio to commit some of their more inspired compositions... Look Blue Go Purple have finished recording and mixing their third EP... joy as we hear Straitjacket Fits are playing Sammy's supported by the Jesus And Mary Chain... and a little bit of sadness as Craig Watt departs for Sydney and London with his Dynamic Duo —Chris Steers and Quinn McConnell. Craig's been grinding out quality for years, if anyone deserves to be a rock star he does... and a definite rumour this one, a Verlaines gig in two months??? SEAH FLAHERTY WELLINGTON N 0.9 are moving to Sydney and will record an EP at Writhe and play a farewell gig at the Clarendon before they head off. Theiralbum Nowhere Fast released here through Jayrem has been licensed to a German label ...The Laundrettes reformed fora one-off anniversary gig at the Clarendon and they have a great live digital recording that may result in a single ... Adventure Playground are to record and film their Cricketers gig on the 1 Bth and drummer Grant Cody is leaving forthe UK in October, with the rest of the band to follow next year... Not Really Anything have just finished a marathon recording session atWrithe, joining fellow F-Nuners Jean Paul Satre... there is a new Sceptics album in the pipeline—somewhere... the new Tex

Pistol/Rikki Morris single single 'Nobody Else' is out now and watch out for the Paul Middleditch video on RTR September 12... John McDougal has left the Holiday makers but will continue to write and record with them. Congratulations to the band for six weeks atNo.l. Onewata's single 'Dance Little Children' is available again after a box full was located under a bed... look out fora rock and roll community calendar for 1989 which will be available 500 n... also in the essential-buy-department is John Dix's book Stranded in Paradise out this month... Harry Death have released a 45-minute tape called Live Too recorded on August 8. The tape is backed with six tracks recorded atWrithe with a cast of friends... plans are being drawn upto move the toilets at the upstairs bar at the Clarendon which will enlarge the audience area... the Lounge Bar at the Southern Cross tavern is to have the booths removed to en-large that venue also. The bar is now known as Sherwoods. The summer garden bar season will begin after Labour weekend and Peter Kaye is now taking bookings... look out for a big gig at the varsity on Sept 30 with the Jonahs, Magic Roundabout, Jean Paul Satre Experience and Straitjacket Fits. z On Thursday nights the Active Down Under show now features 'Caught In The Act', local and touring acts recorded live and another new show on Active is 'Jailhouse Rock', a one hour request show from local prisons, every Friday from 7 til 8 ... following on from the entertaining

musical theatre sports style afternoon at ►

► the Clarendon with Arthur Basting, a celebrity music quiz show is being planned for October... new performance venue, Cafe 88 in Manners St is proving popular with an eclectic range of entertainment. JOHNPILLEY AUCKLAND The Chills play the Gluepot on Sept 31 . and October 1 st, with new drummer James Stevenson. Support is Southern-roots cult band Tav Falco and the Panther Burns... Airforce Studios will run a series of non-profit weekend seminars for musicians in October/November; each seminar will be limited to 15-20 ■ participants and will consist of 1 2-16 hours of instruction inside and outside the studio. Guest speakers on the course have yet to be confirmed; cost for participants is $l5O per head. Phone 777-669 for details or fill out the coupon in this month's Airforce ad

... Strait Jacket Fits, Rhythm Cage, Teeth and Not Really Anything have all been recording recently at Lab, who now have a choice of 16 or 28-track... This Boy Rob were sent back into the studio to mix up vocals on their next single and decided to re-do their whole album while they were there... new Student Radio compilation Children Of The Generator out soon, featuring Greg Johnson, Black Girl Machine and a new Headless Chickens track, plus others... the Rising Sun is introducing 'Dollar Days' this month featuring a live band and beerat $1 percan (all booking enquiries to Alistair, 818-4700). First band to benefit/sufferfrom the instigation are The Loud Lounge (formerly Big Bad Bastid Band), who play the first Dollar Day on Sept 7. New Loud Lounge cassette is nine songs long and available from Real Groovy (AK), Galaxy Records (ChCh) or send $6 to 4 Sussex St, Auckland 2... also at the Rising Sun, the return of the Dole Day Afternoon. The afternoon & evening of Thursday 8 Sept will feature Shay ne Carter, Jan Halrigal, Nick Smith, Matt Curnow, Graeme Humphries, Andy Moore, Richard James and Otis Mace, and maybe even Chris Matthews and Chris Knox t 00... Auckland's "first speed-metal band", Anigrria are recording an EP for Onslaught Records...

John Baker is preparing a compilation of NZ bands circa 1965-67 and wants more info for sleeve notes; if you have any data on the Chants, Tomorrow's Love, The Crescendos or The Principals call him on (AK)6O2-503.